„Gawrony” is the latest album by Maciej Wirmański, released on May 24, 2024 by Szara Reneta label.
The recordings were recorded from 2019 to 2024 near rook colonies in Nowy Targ and Zakopane.
Rooks, like other native corvids, are fascinating because of their ability to adapt to the conditions created by increasing anthropopressure.
The natural habitats of rooks are field woodlots and tree clumps, as well as riverside groves. These places are becoming less and less common in our landscape, which is why many rooks have moved to cities, with old parks, cemeteries and avenues of trees. People consider rooks noisy and dirty, so they are driven away, scared away and their habitats and nests destroyed.
Due to this, over the last 15 years, the rook population in Poland has decreased by almost 60%. Currently, the extinction rate of this common bird is 5%. Within a decade the bird will disappear from the Polish landscape.
The album „Gawrony” consists of 7 tracks from various recordings of the rook colonies, especially Nowy Targ and Zakopane, southern Poland. These birds are fascinating, they are one the few elements of native biophony, which are able to drown out the noise of civilization.
The full version of the album is available in the form of a 32 GB microSD card packed into black gatefold cover. Bandcamp version includes only six tracks.
Each piece is a separate story of the colony’s life and sound.
Enjoy!